Independent: Letter to the Editor

July 10 2009

Independent

This shocking miscarriage of justice serves as a reminder of the huge variation in standards of justice across Europe. Ordinary people, like Michael Shields, are travelling in ever greater numbers for study, holidays, work or retirement. Increasing co-operation in criminal justice has led to hundreds of individuals being extradited each year to face trial or serve sentences in other European countries. Sadly, our own work at Fair Trials International leaves us in no doubt that more must be done to ensure basic fair-trial rights are protected in many EU member states.

This week the Swedish presidency of the European Union published a "roadmap", showing the way for basic rights to be protected in criminal proceedings throughout Europe. It was a huge disappointment that previous such attempts were vetoed by the UK, and we hope that this initiative will not suffer the same fate.

By supporting these measures Jack Straw could help to raise standards of justice across the Europe and, in so doing, protect against future cases like that of Michael Shields.

Jago Russell
Chief Executive, Fair Trials International